Zverev starts strong in bid for first slam

NEW YORK — German Alexander Zverev got his bid for a maiden Gramd Slam off to a smooth start by beating American Sam Querrey 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 in the first round of the U.S. Open on Tuesday.

Querrey kept the match close through the first two sets but was stymied by unforced errors as 2020 runnerup Zverev kept his game comparatively clean and fired off 25 winners.

The world number four went in for the kill in the third set and with the fifth game secured a double-break lead with the momentum squarely in his favour, never facing a break point himself during the entire match.

In a showdown between two six foot six inch power servers, Zverev's consistency proved critical and he won 90 per cent of his first-serve points compared to 70 for Querrey, who fended off three match points in the seventh game but was nonetheless defeated in a brisk one hour and 40 minutes.

Zverev, who was two points away from winning a year ago before Dominic Thiem rallied to victory, is among the younger cohort hoping to upset world number one Novak Djokovic's bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam.

"Novak is chasing history," said Zverev. "But I think the guys are going to try and get in the way of that and I'm looking forward to maybe giving him a challenge as well."

Belgian 27th seed David Goffin lost 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 to American world No. 30 Mackenzie Mcdonald.

Czech fourth seed and former finalist Karolina Pliskova fired eight aces, including one on her second match point, to beat American Caty Mcnally 6-3, 6-4 and move into the second round in just over an hour.